(NAPSI)—To compete in the world economy, U.S. businesses will need millions of new college graduates for the next decade’s new jobs. Can today’s colleges and universities develop future workers with the skills they will need for tomorrow’s jobs?

A new book by Dr. Tracey Wilen-Daugenti, “Society 3.0: How Technology Is Reshaping Education, Work and Society,” details how colleges and universities are still evolving ways to provide the workforce skills that companies will most need to innovate and grow in the 21st century.

“Traditional classroom learning no longer matches the way today’s students learn and complete coursework,” says Dr. Wilen-Daugenti, a former Silicon Valley executive who is the vice president and managing director of Apollo Research Institute. Major societal trends, such as degree acquisition later in life, social mobility and greater need for intercultural awareness, will dictate the content and delivery of higher education.

Yet many colleges and universities struggle to keep pace with these trends and enrollment rates over the past decade have been stagnant. As one solution, Dr. Wilen-Daugenti proposes greater use of distance learning programs, where online coursework and class participation supplement or replace face-to-face learning. “Distance learning helps brick-and-mortar universities add learning capacity while allowing working students to take courses on their own schedule,” she says.

Producing millions of new graduates will require multiple stakeholders for success. “Individuals must become lifelong learners to keep their skill sets current with marketplace demands across longer careers,” says Dr. Wilen-Daugenti. Educational institutions need to keep pace with technological and social developments in the skills they promote, the way they deliver instruction and the range of students they serve.

According to Dr. Wilen-Daugenti, businesses must adapt their workforce planning and development strategies and collaborate with higher education institutions to ensure that future skill requirements are aligned with relevant curricula and instructional delivery systems. Likewise, she says, the federal government must make education a national priority, to provide citizens with the skills most suited to building a sustainable future.

“The future of higher education is tied to innovation, technology and an adaptive knowledge of society’s emerging trends,” says Dr. Wilen-Daugenti of the teamwork needed to produce tomorrow’s resilient, skilled workforce. “The importance of education to career longevity and success has never been greater.”

For more information about Society 3.0, visit www.apolloresearchinstitute.org.

Wooden Birdhouse Made In Raleigh NC

(NAPSI)—If you think your work skills are only useful at your current job, think again. Many of the skills acquired in the workforce can be used in related or even completely different careers, so there’s no need to stay in that dead-end job or keep trying for a job in an industry that’s losing them.

Many skills can be transferred and be an asset in another type of career. Although theU.S.unemployment rate is currently 8.3 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 3.4 million jobs open right now. Many employers have positions they believe they can’t fill and can’t find the “right” candidates to join their team. Many of these open jobs are in sales and other areas such as human resources, where skill sets are easily adapted to new organizations and industries.

While many employers are having a tough time finding “qualified” candidates to fill open jobs, the insurance industry is hiring, targeting efforts at career changers.

For example, The Guardian Life Insurance Company ofAmerica(Guardian) expects to increase its sales force by 5 percent, adding over 800 new members to its national distribution team in 80 agencies across theU.S.The company has seen that life insurance industry experience is not the only desirable background in this rapidly changing economic time and hopes to fill many of those positions with candidates from other walks of life.

While the pool of people who succeed in making the shift into the life insurance and financial advisory arena is diverse, they share certain characteristics, particularly the eagerness and overwhelming drive to make the opportunity their own and create a business for themselves.

Diverse business experience, well-developed interpersonal skills, a keen interest in financial success, a passion for lifelong learning, and professional training are important transferable skills for people most likely to thrive in the financial services environment.

Some 65 percent of the company’s representatives are career changers. Career changers tend to offer many great qualities: maturity, good judgment, professional comportment, knowledge of business etiquette, and experience. In addition, career changers are often self-starters, and while they may need training to assume their new responsibilities, they do not need an inordinate amount of hand-holding.

For many companies, hiring the “right stuff” means welcoming career changers. For more information, visit www.GuardianLife.com.

Add your business to City5nc.com business Directory Free!

(NAPSI)—The nation’s leading emergency and resuscitation experts are working together to improve survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

The Problem

Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart abruptly stops beating because of abnormal heart rhythms. Each year, an estimated 295,000 Americans die from SCA, as reported by the American Heart Association’s Heart Disease and Stroke Statistical Update.

For three decades, there’s been no improvement in the national survival rate of 8 percent for SCA, and depending where you live, the survival rate could vary greatly.

The Solution

The HeartRescue Project is a new initiative to improve SCA procedures in three critical areas of response: bystanders, emergency medical services and hospital emergency rooms. To educate people and encourage the proper response to SCA, the Medtronic Foundation committed more than $15 million to initiate the HeartRescue Project. The project assembles the country’s leading emergency and resuscitation experts to expand successful response programs in five pilot states. The goal is to improve out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates by at least 50 percent in five years in these states.

HeartRescue partners at the Universities of Arizona, Duke, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Washington and their partner agencies will coordinate proven protocols and high-tech treatments that show SCA is treatable.

“There is a 500 percent variation in survival after cardiac arrest,” said Dr. Graham Nichol, a HeartRescue partner at the University of Washington. “Many people don’t realize that cardiac arrest can be treated. In many regions, bystanders, emergency response and hospitals are not working together to help the patient.”

What You Can Do

Success begins with public bystanders. Communities with higher bystander CPR participation have higher SCA survival rates. Bystanders can take the following three steps to increase survival rates: Recognize the signs of SCA and call 911, begin CPR and find an automated external defibrillator (AED).

• Recognize the signs of SCA—If you see someone suddenly collapse, lose consciousness and stop breathing, that person could be experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. Immediately call 911.

• Perform CPR-Begin hands—only CPR: Push hard and fast on the chest-about 100 compressions a minute. Let the chest rise completely between compressions.

• Find an AED—Continue chest compressions until emergency personnel arrive. If possible, have someone get an automated external defibrillator, turn it on and follow the directions.

More Information

You can learn more about this initiative at www.medtronic.com/foundation and www.heartrescueproject.com.

Need Hosting For Your Business & Website Click Here

Got A Garner NC Business? Add It To Garner NC City Guide

Summer months provide ideal opportunity for charitable endeavors

Pay it forward: Children have the power to make a difference

(ARA) – In many ways, the joint birthday party in late January for 8-year old Sofia Segalla and her best friend, Clara Goulding, was full of traditional fun. They and 28 of their classmates enjoyed inflatable structures, a whirlwind of exciting games and exchanging giggles like only 8-year-olds can.

What was unusual, and truly inspiring about Sofia and Clara’s party, however, is that in lieu of gifts, the girls requested that donations be made to a Chicago-based nonprofit, Friends of the Orphans, to help children in need in Haiti who were affected by the country’s devastating January 2010 earthquake. The birthday guests contributed approximately $900 to St. Damien’s Pediatric Hospital, an amount that pleasantly surprised Sofia’s mom Michele.

“We did something similar for my son several years ago when he was 5, and this year, Sofia was truly excited about doing a party fundraiser,” says Michele Segalla. “It really made her think, and she’s more aware about people in need and how fortunate she is.”

It’s no secret that Americans are a generous bunch, and according to Giving USA, 83 percent of philanthropic dollars are contributed by individuals. In 2009, this amount totaled just more than $227 billion. While adults are well-versed in the benefits of philanthropic giving, teaching children the impact they can make by getting involved in fundraising activities and volunteerism can help shape a future generation of leaders.

“Helping others in need, and in Friends of the Orphans’ case, helping children in need, is tightly woven into our country’s fabric,” says Sharon Saxelby, president and CEO of Friends of the Orphans.

“By involving our children in charitable opportunities from a young age, we are not only reinforcing how blessed they may be in their own lives, but we are demonstrating that even the smallest initiative can make them feel good and change the lives of others. It’s important for adults to lead by example,” she says.

For parents interested in involving their children in charitable initiatives, how do they begin? With the lazy days of summer quickly approaching, parents have a wide open opportunity to seize some of those free hours and work side-by-side with their children on identifying which causes might appeal to them and how much time they can dedicate.

Based on what sparks their children’s interest, whether it’s sports, animals, nature, music or something else, parents and their kids can jointly research local or national opportunities for donation recipients. Sites like CharityNavigator.com allow visitors to search by category, hot topics or top 10 lists. Another option is to stay local. For instance, if a child has a love of animals, contact the local animal shelter to see what is at the top of their “wish list.” The most important thing when considering a cause to support is that the children get excited about it.

For a suburban Chicago 13-year-old, Caleigh Joyce, choosing an organization to benefit from her eighth-grade confirmation service project was an easy decision. Her family is a long-time Friends of the Orphans sponsor to 11-year-old Dulce from Cuernavaca, Mexico, so Caleigh knew she wanted to directly help children in need there.

For her “Frutas y Verduras Para los Amigos y Victorias” (Fruits and Vegetables For Friends) project, Caleigh created a flier, a mass e-mail to family and friends, and a website (friendsoftheorphans.org/caleighsproject) explaining her ambitious goal of raising approximately $2,000 to purchase four months of fresh fruits and vegetables for 180 high school children living in a group home in Cuernavaca. After visiting the home and her “sister” Dulce in February, she felt even closer to the cause and saw the direct impact her efforts will make.

“I chose to do this because it’s really meaningful and makes me feel good. It’s important, so I’m talking to a lot of friends and family about donating,” Caleigh says.

Saxelby notes that a secondary benefit to children getting involved in charitable endeavors is that it strengthens their future college applications and helps them distinguish themselves from their peers.

After children identify who they want to raise money for, the next step is how to raise the money. It doesn’t have to be complicated, and many activities can be completed in a day. Based on the age of the child and how many friends and adults he or she can enlist to assist, a few suggestions to consider, especially during the summer months, include:

* Neighborhood dog wash
* Charity car wash
* Used book sale
* Making and selling homemade jewelry
* Birthday party donation in lieu of gifts
* Backyard movie night on large screen under the stars

“There are so many worthy charitable organizations and creative ways to raise money. By fostering an existing love, children will be more motivated to stay involved,” Saxelby says. “Whether raising money to help the local animal shelter buy puppy food, or volunteering to clean up a park where kids spend hours playing basketball, that personal connection is really important.

“Today’s children have so much power to really make an impact in our world. Engaging kids in charitable initiatives creates a deeper bond within their own families and also brings them closer to those they are helping.”

For more information about Friends of the Orphans, visit www.friendsoftheorphans.org.

Free Appliance Pick-up & Recycling In Raleigh NC

Add your Business Free Wake County Business Directory

Handcrafted Wooden Birdhouses & Bird Feeders Made In Wake County NC

Emerging careers in science and health care

(ARA) – Growth in technology is contributing to career options at an increasing rate. Many industries, from information technology to environmental science to health care, benefit from new and enriching career opportunities afforded by rapid advancements.

Ten of the 20 fastest-growing careers are health care-related, with 26 percent of all new jobs created falling into this category, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s “Career Guide to Industries, 2010-11 Edition.” New career possibilities are opening for individuals with vocational training, college diplomas and advanced degrees.

Growing demand for health care professionals

“In terms of health care, the speed of change is anywhere from two days to six weeks. Knowledge is doubling faster than in the 1990s when IT was producing software on average every few days,” says Micki Holliday, director of career services at Brown Mackie College – Kansas City, located in Lenexa, Kan. “In addition to knowledge expansion, research indicates that the aging population is pushing science and health care to the forefront in needs. New people, new habits and skills and new orientation to the world are bringing in new opportunities.”

The unique baby boomer population represents a large demographic that, despite growing older, is staying active longer. “It isn’t just young people jogging and exercising today. It permeates all generations. Technological advances in medicine are helping people stay active longer. We’re building bodies better,” she says, referring to the ability to replace hips, knees, and organs with more advanced technology. “The demand for a higher quality of life through technology drives innovation. Most things involving health care are considered a boom industry.”

While scientists and doctors are in demand, it is critical that health care facilities hire correctly trained support staff so that others can do what they do best. Doctors need others to provide care. Entry-level employment opportunities arise at hospitals, doctor and dentist offices, rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes and home health care companies, says Holliday. “Industry can’t move forward without trained professionals. They want to hire workers with education, knowledge and certifications.” Health care positions in growing demand include all types of medical and lab technicians, as well as insurance, financial and administrative professionals.

Advancements in science spawn new opportunities

Growth in the science and engineering sectors feed the health care boom. The biotech industry is huge and growing in every area, from operations and manufacturing to clinical research and quality control. This opens the door for a myriad of trained professionals to find employment. To learn more about health care career opportunities, visit www.brownmackie.edu.

“What type of people are needed to support biotech companies? Everyone from lab technicians and research associates to cabinet-makers who build lab-safety storage,” Holliday says. “One scientist I know of was about to culminate a two-year research project when a lab tech walked by with a test tube in hand and scratched his head. That single act negated the whole project. It is of the utmost importance for companies to hire people who are trained and certified in lab protocol.”

Biotech companies also need trained, entry-level people to fill positions in administration, billing and research. “You can contribute to this growing industry without becoming an engineer,” Holliday says. “The title isn’t new, but the work is new due to advances in technology.”

In all disciplines, health care and science industry employers need workers who are educated and are skilled in protocol. Schools provide the foundation for working in a specific environment. Companies and device manufacturers then provide additional training on the job. “That’s another career opportunity,” adds Holliday. “There is a growing need for trainers, too.”

Holliday’s father was a research assistant in the late 1940s. “Can you imagine what he’d think of today’s equipment? Tests taking minutes instead of weeks. Noninvasive surgery that enables patients to go home a few hours later,” she says. “Our students are contributing to these miracles of time and science by providing businesses with the manpower needed to run the experiments, provide the treatments and create the tools and remedies.”

Courtesy of ARAcontent

New City5nc Local North Carolina Business Directory, Add Your Business and Website Now!

RALEIGH, N.C. — Gemini Energy Services, a division of Orion International, has been awarded a $200,000 Workforce Development grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, to create a tailored training curriculum for military veterans that will translate their military skill set into a Technical career within the Wind Industry. Orion International has committed an additional $154,000 to the grant award for training, tools and equipment costs, and will oversee the continuation of the program once the grant funding has been exhausted.

“Veterans are ideally suited for the Wind Industry due to their leadership experience, technical skill, and proven performance under the most difficult of situations, and yet a lack of wind-specific training can present a barrier to entry”

“Veterans are ideally suited for the Wind Industry due to their leadership experience, technical skill, and proven performance under the most difficult of situations, and yet a lack of wind-specific training can present a barrier to entry,” said Mike Starich, President of Orion International. “We are pleased to have been awarded this grant by the DOE, which will allow us to develop an industry leading military-specific training curriculum to eliminate this barrier.”

The program will create an intensive multi-phase training curriculum, combining OSHA, industry-specific, and OEM training segments, as well as on-the-job practical work experience. Participants will be hired as employees of Gemini Energy Services, and will be supplied with all tools and equipment necessary to begin their career as Wind Technicians.

Upon program completion, the Veterans will be fully trained and qualified Wind Technicians, with immediate career opportunities within the Wind Industry. They will have the option to continue their employment with Gemini Energy Services as contract service technicians, or use Orion’s military career placement services to seek permanent employment within the Wind Industry.

According to James Haley, Director of Operations for Gemini Energy Services, “We are thrilled with the opportunity to create a world-class training and employment program for Veterans in the Wind Industry, at no cost to them. It is an added bonus that we will not merely be training these Veterans, but will provide career placement as well, in turn increasing the level of expertise and professionalism within the Wind Industry as a whole.
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire

Degrees that will make you indispensable in the workplace

(ARA) – From digitizing and analyzing America’s health records to developing the next big video game or hardware program, careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields continue to gain prominence in the work force. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor predicts a growing demand for technological advances will result in a job growth of 22 percent for STEM occupations between 2004 and 2014.

As employment opportunities within these new and emerging industries continue to expand, educational institutions are taking a look at refining curriculums to provide career-focused higher education, and better prepare students for careers in specific fields.

To do this, universities are working directly with high-caliber employers to ensure their future employee needs will be met. DeVry University, for example, works directly with companies including IBM and Cisco to create these student programs. DeVry University graduates from the last five years have worked at 96 of the Fortune 100 companies.

“Students are looking to obtain the education and knowledge needed to succeed in the high-growth industries that continue to thrive,” says Donna Loraine, vice president, academic affairs for DeVry Inc., and dean, DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management. “Our academic structure is one that allows for swift implementation of new programs and curriculum once we notice a specific need, allowing us to better prepare students for these in-demand 21st century careers.”

According to the Center for Education Policy Analysis, technology is pervasive in almost every aspect of daily life, and as the workplace changes, STEM knowledge, skills and the ways in which problems are approached and solved in these subjects are important for a variety of workers.

DeVry worked closely with Cisco using the Cisco Networking Academy program to deliver curriculums that teach students how to design, build, troubleshoot and secure computer networks.

“Working with DeVry University to equip students with technical knowledge and hands-on experiences will help meet growing demand for skilled workers in a variety of industries ranging from broadband and wireless to healthcare and green technologies,” says Amy Christen, vice president of corporate affairs at Cisco and general manager of the Cisco Networking Academy. “Individuals that are trained in the latest technology careers today will be well-prepared for a variety of exciting career opportunities tomorrow.”

In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is anticipating an approximate 45 percent growth in the computer software engineer and application occupations. Anticipating this demand, these student/employer partnerships aim to prepare soon-to-be graduates for these technology careers, while helping to fill a growing need for professionals in the emerging industries around the world.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

SAS is going to high school.

The Cary software company is expanding a pilot programming course taught at Apex High School to nine other high schools this academic year.

Seven of the newly added schools are in North Carolina, including Cary High School and the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, and one each is in Florida and Alabama. The course will be available to high schools across the country beginning in January.

“I do think it is something that can be successful nationwide,” said Julie Oster, director of Apex High’s information technology-oriented curriculum. “It’s a skill that is in high demand … because SAS is used in so many industries. Statistical analysis is now everywhere.”

John Garrison, a senior at Apex High who took the SAS course last year, said it opened his eyes to the power of data. “It really allows for a lot of statistical analysis,” he said. “It’s a great platform for learning.”

The teen said he found the “syntax” of SAS — the basics of the programming language — easy. But it was harder to determine the best ways to process and manipulate data, which is at the heart of the company’s business intelligence and analytics software.

SAS, which has more than 4,000 workers in Cary, views the course as a way of doing good — enriching student curricula — as well as helping itself by spreading the word about the company and training what is potentially a new generation of SAS programmers.

That’s important because demand for SAS programmers exceeds supply. Demand is especially high at pharmaceutical and financial services companies that use SAS software.

The high school program is an extension of the company’s efforts to teach SAS skills at the university level.

That includes helping to develop N.C. State University’s master’s degree program in analytics and a data mining certificate program at Oklahoma State University.

Nor is SAS’s push into high schools unique. More schools are offering information technology curricula, and IT companies are eager to work with them. Cisco Systems courses were taken by 2,939 students at 47 high schools in North Carolina from October 2006 to October 2007, the company said.

“The same courses I’m teaching at high school, you can actually take at a community college or university,” said Geof Duncan, who teaches two Cisco courses — network engineering technology I and II — at Knightdale High School.

The first course teaches students to set up a wired or wireless network in a home or small office. The advanced course teaches skills such as configuring routers. Combined, the two courses are the equivalent of one college course.

Leslie Keller, the Apex teacher who worked with SAS to adapt its adult certification program for the high school level, views the course as useful even for students who don’t pursue a career in IT.

“All programming language is problem-solving and critical thinking, regardless of what the programming language is,” she said. “In addition, SAS offers a broader perspective and appreciation of data and how it can be beneficial and how it can be used.”

SAS’s sophisticated business intelligence and analytics software isn’t easily explained in a few words, but Keller has a pat description: “SAS takes data and turns it into useful information. It analyzes the data, creates reports from the data in many, many different ways.”

For years SAS has been approached by high schools interested in teaching SAS programming. Until now the company didn’t have a course to offer them, said Caroline McCullen, director of SAS education initiatives

Read More:News & Observer

(ARA) – What do a recent global crackdown on Internet child pornography and the arrest of Dennis Rader, the infamous “BTK” serial killer have in common with the Sept. 11 attacks on America? All are high profile crimes investigated not only by conventional police investigators, but by those specially trained in computer forensics, a new area of crime fighting.

Computer forensics is a branch of forensic science pertaining to legal evidence found in computers and digital storage mediums. Experts in this field investigate data storage devices such as hard drives, USB drives, CD-ROMS, floppy disks, etc., identifying, preserving and analyzing documentary and other digital evidence.

While most of the attention given to people working in this field comes from the work they do with police to help solve high profile crimes, that is not the only role they play. Individual companies are hiring forensic computer experts to perform such roles as determining the root cause of a hacker attack, collecting evidence legally admissible in court, and protecting corporate assets and reputations from crimes such as white-collar fraud.

Andrew Hildebrand, CPA, CVA, JD and dean of business programs at DeVry University in Fort Washington, Penn., offers this example of just how important a computer forensics expert’s role is in a corporate investigation of financial crime. “First a CPA would be contacted by an attorney to work on proving financial fraud. The CPA would need to have financial records and data, some of which may be in electronic format,” he says.

“Many times in these types of fraud cases, the suspect has attempted to cover-up the crime by deleting various documents, such as MS Word memos and MS Excel spreadsheets,” Hildebrand adds. “Once the accountants have some idea of what they are looking for, we can work with the computer forensics professional to recover the deleted material. During every step from seizure of the computer through to court testimony, the computer forensics professional will use their expertise to ensure that the data is recovered and the laws of evidence are respected.”

Realizing the growing need for trained professionals with this area of expertise, schools such as DeVry University, one of the country’s largest, publicly held, degree-granting higher education systems in the U.S., have developed special degree programs to train the experts of tomorrow. DeVry University offers an accelerated bachelor’s degree program in Computer Information Systems with a specialized track in computer forensics that can be completed in three years. As they are pursuing their degree, students learn how to follow the trail of computer clues that are left behind when someone commits a crime of technology. They also learn how to document evidence and how to coordinate with law enforcement to track the movements of the bad guys.

“Students will be prepared for jobs such as security auditor, security specialist, security administrator, security analyst, Web security manager, security director, digital forensic investigator, privacy officer and compliance officer,” says Rajin Koonjbearry, an instructor at DeVry University in Dallas. “These jobs are in high demand and will continue to grow because of new and changing regulatory requirements.”

Among the career avenues available for students graduating with a specialization in computer forensics:

* Law Enforcement. Police departments and sheriff’s offices nationwide are looking for computer forensics professionals to help them investigate computer-related crimes.

* Corporate. Those with a computer forensics background can help companies protect their computer systems from outside attacks.

* Private Organizations. Any private organization with its own network needs computer forensics professionals to maintain surveillance on their systems.

* Software Programmers. The advice that the computer forensics degree holder can provide a software company about the stability of their programs is always welcomed.

“We are responding to the changing IT industry in order to ensure DeVry University graduates are prepared to excel in emerging industry areas,” says Eddie Wachter, Ph.D., dean of academic affairs at DeVry University Central Florida. “Professionals who know how to protect companies and consumers from cyber crime will be in great demand in our increasingly networked world, and the new specialized options give our students the edge in this evolving industry.”

To learn more about DeVry University’s Computer Information Systems (CIS) degree program, log on to http://www.DeVry.edu  .

Need for Prescription Drugs Propels Demand for Pharmacy Technicians

(ARA) – With our nation’s population, the demand for prescription medication is greater than ever before. This has created a huge need for pharmacy workers, according to the National Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“There are numerous factors propelling demand for medication,” says Richard Nunez, department chair and certified pharmacy technician at Everest College, in San Francisco. “First, Americans are living longer than ever and need more medical treatments. Advances in medical technology are also producing more prescription drugs. The combination of these two factors is putting a real strain on the pharmaceutical industry to meet demand.”

The number of prescriptions filled increased by 60 percent in the span of a decade, rising from 1.9 million in 1992 to 3.1 million in 2002, according to the Association of Counter Drug Stores.

Nunez links this growth of the pharmaceutical industry to demographic changes. “The growing need for prescription drugs is one of the long term side-effects of the aging baby-boom generation. The pharmaceutical industry is one of many industries in healthcare that is feeling the repercussions,” says Nunez.

“Pharmacy technicians are one way the profession is responding to this need for workers,” he adds. “They really play a crucial role in a pharmacy. In many ways, the work of pharmacy technicians complements that of pharmacists. Pharmacy technicians help patients, explain dosages, update patient information, and help with labeling and filling prescriptions.”

Pharmacy technicians are one of the fastest growing professions in the U.S. right now. According to the National Pharmacy Technician Association, more than 39,000 pharmacy technician jobs open each year. And the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that pharmacy technician jobs are expected to grow more than 32 percent over the next decade.

Yet with increased demand, Nunez explains that the role of pharmacy technicians is changing. “Pharmacists just do not have the time to do everything themselves. Pharmacy technicians have to step in to fill multiple roles,” he says. Nunez explains that pharmacy technicians will begin to assume responsibilities for a range of tasks that were previously reserved for pharmacists or pharmacy aides.

“The profession has really had to develop in response to this need,” says Nunez. “Pharmacy technicians are no longer seen as simply assistants to pharmacists, but as full-fledged pharmaceutical professionals.”

Pharmacists have to focus more on patient care, and pharmacy technicians refer questions regarding prescriptions, drug information or health matters to them. Pharmacy technicians are responsible for measuring, recording and labeling medications, and they are also taking on more administrative duties, including updating patient profiles, preparing insurance claims and taking inventory of pharmacy stock.

As responsibilities of pharmacy technicians grow, obtaining certification is also becoming more important. “Although pharmacy technicians have traditionally received on-the-job training, employers are increasingly looking for employees who have prior professional degree,” says Drew Jones, Pharmacy Program director and certified pharmacy technician at Everest College in City of Industry, Calif.

More importantly, Jones explains that better training could lead to more professional opportunities. “The shortage of pharmacists opens up opportunities for better qualified pharmacy technicians to take on more responsibilities,” says Jones.

“We recognize the importance of this career in helping keep Americans healthy. Pharmacy technicians have become a crucial part of the pharmacy team, and we really stress the career’s potential to our students. They come to us to be part of an accredited program, because they recognize the new opportunities the career offers for qualified employees,” says Jones.

To learn more about career opportunities as a pharmacy technician, visit www.everest.edu.

Courtesy of ARAcontent